The Three Tests
by SilvorMoon
Summary: Princess Asuka is to be married soon, but she's determined not to marry just anyone. No one has ever been able to pass her tests, but Earth Wizard Jim "Crocodile" Cook enjoys a good challenge.
1. First Test

**First Test**

**By: SilvorMoon**

The prince's traveling party could not go any further. This was problematic, because whatever the prince wanted, he inevitably got, or else someone was punished for it, and in this case, it was shaping up to be the latter. The prince's prize horse, a glorious creature with a jet-black coat, had mysteriously taken ill, and not even the prince's horsemaster could determine what had happened to it. All efforts to cure it had come to nothing, and the prince was stubbornly refusing to go on without it. The horsemaster glared at the offending animal, and refrained from cursing with a massive effort of will.

Suddenly, the downcast horse raised its head and pricked its ears forward, and even gave a small whicker, as if greeting a friend. Following the horse's gaze, the horsemaster could see a man walking up the dusty road, and he was surely a stranger. He was tall and thin, but moved purposefully, like someone with authority. His feet were encased in a pair of tall leather boots, and he wore a hat with a shady brim, but his most striking feature was that he seemed to be carrying a large scaly animal on his back. The horsemaster stared. The prince's horse was bred and trained to stay calm in nearly any situation, but it still shouldn't have been reacting to the sight of a strange man with a predatory reptile in tow as though it had just seen its favorite person.

The stranger walked past the rest of the prince's entourage without giving them a second look, and stopped directly in front of the horsemaster. He flashed a winning smile.

"Looks like you've got a bit of a problem," he said by way of greeting, tipping his hat. He spoke in an accent that carried hints of somewhere very far away. "Mind letting me have a try?"

"Who are you?" the horsemaster asked suspiciously. Up close, he could see that the man was missing an eye, or at least was wearing a lot of bandages covering the place where the eye ought to be. The horsemaster suspected that he was probably some sort of ruffian. And he was carrying a... a... some sort of dragon? How could you trust someone like that?

"The name's Jim. Jim Crocodile Cook," said the stranger, flashing another one of those easy grins. "I'm a traveling Earth Wizard. You fine folks are from out of town, aren't you?"

"Ah - yes," said the horsemaster, trying to handle this sudden shift in the conversation. He supposed being an Earth Wizard _might_ explain the dragon-creature, but... "We're from the kingdom of Seawake, many miles from here."

"Yes, I know Seawake," said Jim. He had turned his attention to the horse, scratching its ears with one hand while he investigated its eyes and mouth. The horse put up with this treatment far better than it ever did when the horsemaster tried it. "A coastal kingdom. Not as many trees and plains as you get around here. I expect you've been letting this beauty graze a bit?"

The horsemaster agreed, grudgingly, that he had. Jim nodded.

"I expect he's gotten into a patch of dustweed. Nasty stuff, that is," said Jim. "It doesn't grow in your part of the world, but it can have this effect on livestock sometimes. It'll wear off in a day or two if you don't let him eat any more of it, but I've got a powder that will set him right a lot faster."

So saying, he set down the pack he'd been carrying slung over one shoulder (it occurred to the horsemaster to think that this man must be quite strong to carry all that plus his beast) and began rummaging through it. He pulled out a wax-paper packet, a canteen, and a bowl, which he filled with water and the contents of the packet.

"Here you are, my friend," he said to the horse, offering the dish of water and herbs. "Drink this up and you'll feel better."

The horsemaster started to say that the horse wasn't going to drink anything just because someone told him to, but before he could object, the horse obediently began slurping up the concoction until the bowl was licked dry.

"There you go," said Jim, smiling at the horsemaster. "Just give him about a half an hour to let that take effect, and he should be good as new. And don't let him browse around here anymore without making sure that what he's eating is safe."

"Hm," said the horsemaster doubtfully. "I suppose you're going to want payment for this."

Jim scratched his head. "I hadn't thought about it. But if you really _want_ to pay me, you can give me some information. It's been a while since I've been in these parts. Tell me, what's the news around here?"

The horsemaster relaxed as he decided that this strange man probably wasn't looking for money or trouble, after all. "All I know is that we're here because of the princess. Our prince wants to try his hand at winning her."

"Well, that's good for him," said Jim with a chuckle, "but not much to do with me."

"It is if you want to try it yourself," said the horsemaster. "That's the rule - any marriageable man, from near or far, noble or common, rich or poor, is entitled to a chance."

"That would be good news, if I wanted to marry a princess," Jim mused.

The horsemaster shrugged. "Don't we all?"

"So what does this chance involve? Fighting in tournaments or something like that, I suppose."

"Nobody knows," said the horsemaster. "The rules are that if you want to marry the princess, you have to pass three tests. There's one test given every day, and they keep changing them every time, so no one ever takes the same test as someone before them. If you pass all three tests, the princess is yours."

"That sounds straightforward," said Jim. "Well, good luck to you and your prince. I think I'll be moving along now. Take care - and keep this horse out of trouble!"

He gave the horse a final pat, tipped his hat to the horsemaster again, and began ambling up the road.

"So, what do you think, Karen?" he said to his scaly companion. "How do you like the idea of meeting this princess?"

The crocodile gave a mutter.

"I didn't say I was planning to," he said. "I just said I was thinking about meeting her. You don't get a chance to marry a princess every day of the week. Be a shame to turn it down and then be sorry later." He sighed and stopped walking long enough to start prying one of his boots off and fish a rock from his shoe. "And much as I like traveling, it would be nice to have a comfortable place to put my head at night, and never to have to worry about where my next meal is coming from."

Karen muttered again, and Jim laughed.

"You're right, you're right. But I could do a lot more good as a princess's consort than I could just wandering the countryside looking for people to help. I'd have some authority to get things done on a grand scale. That would be worth something."

Karen offered another opinion.

"Well, of course," he said. "That's why we have to go visit her, yes? If she's not a decent enough sort, I wouldn't marry her if she were the sole ruler of the world. But if she's pleasant company..."

The crocodile gave a sullen grumble, and Jim reached back to pat her reassuringly.

"Don't you worry - you'll always be my first love," he told her. "You know me - I just want to see what sort of challenges they've come up with."

Karen made a low gurgle in her throat, and Jim grinned. It wasn't often he got to hear his crocodile laugh. He shoved his boot back on and started walking swiftly up the road, his long legs propelling him steadily towards the capital city, the castle, and the princess.

* * *

"...and _stay_ out!" shouted Advisor Chronos, and slammed the door firmly behind the departing Prince of Treehaven.

"I could have done that, you know," said Ryou, the captain of the guard.

"I apologize. I seem to have forgotten my place," said Chronos, giving him a stiff bow, "but I could not stand another minute of his disrespect. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Princess."

Months before the wandering Earth Mage was set to make his entrance, the prince and princess had been sitting in their grand parlor, watching the denouement of the most recent visit from one of their neighbors. The king of Treehaven had arrived for a visit of state with his son in tow, saying that he wished to improve relations between the two distant kingdoms. It had turned out that the relation the king was looking for had been to marry his son off to the lovely princess, and it appeared that the idea that she might say no had never crossed the prince's mind. He had, in fact, been so sure of his welcome that he had made a few advances that the princess herself (and most everyone else affiliated with her) had been thoroughly affronted by, leading to the scene that had just played out.

"I suppose it can't be helped," said Fujiwara. He could afford to be sanguine about the whole thing - most people rarely noticed the dark-clad man with his drowsy eyes and dreamy smile who lurked in the corners of the rooms. The court magician had an affinity for shadow magic that tended to make him blend into the scenery unless he actually wanted to be noticed, and he had a distaste for commotion. He had been left out of the whole situation.

"There _should_ be a way to help it," said the prince firmly. "I want my sister to find a good husband as much as anyone, but this is ridiculous."

Princess Asuka glanced at her brother. "Well, I wouldn't say no to having fewer annoyances like this to deal with. But if you think you're going to arrange something for me, it's out of the question."

"Well, we must do something," said Chronos. "This is getting out of hand. Princess, I know you value your independence, but you are of marriageable age now, and these requests aren't going to stop. For the good of the kingdom, you should start thinking about finding a suitable husband."

"For the kingdom and my sanity," she said, making a wry face.

"It'll be okay," said her brother. "Not everybody out there is like that jerk."

"Oh, Fubuki," she said, "I don't even know anyone outside this castle. How am I supposed to find someone I actually want to marry?"

"If it were me," said Fujiwara thoughtfully, "I would arrange a test."

Asuka looked interested. "What sort of test?"

"A test of character," Fujiwara elaborated. "Something that would make people reveal their true personality."

"Better to make it more than one," said Ryou. "Passing one could be a fluke."

"We'll make it three," said Chronos decisively. With a nod to Asuka, he added, "Terms and conditions to be decided by her highness, of course."

Asuka smiled slowly. "So, you're saying that I can dream up any test I want?"

"Hey, no fair making up something that can't be passed," said Fubuki.

"All right, all right," she said. She gave him a look. "Why don't _you_ have to go through all this? You're the prince - you should have to get married for the sake of the kingdom, too."

"I will, someday," he said. "But I know lots of people. You're solitary. I'll tell you what - when you find someone you want to marry, I'll choose someone, too. Then we can have a double wedding. It'll be fun!"

"So you say," she said. "All right. Just one thing - If I'm going to be choosing my own husband, I want to be able to choose whoever I want. That means everyone from princes to commoners should be given the same chance. Agreed?"

Fubuki nodded. "That's the way it should be - a proper love match."

"It will be as the prince and princess wish," said Advisor Chronos. "I'll have the announcements made at once."

And so, within a few days, the word went out to all the surrounding kingdoms that the princess would marry whoever could pass her three tests, and many came by land and sea to try to win her hand. But none were successful, and after a time, some people even began to think that the tests were designed to be impossible, and that the princess would remain unwed forever. And that was how things stood when a dusty Earth Wizard wandered into town.

* * *

Jim raised the brim of his hat to look up at the royal palace. It had been some time since his wandering had brought him this way, but he could see that not a lot had changed. The last time he had been there, the king had still been alive. After he had died, it had generally been expected that the prince would take over the kingdom's rulership, but the prince had wanted the title to pass to his more practical-minded sister. There had been such an outcry over the idea of the idea of a woman - not even the firstborn - inheriting the throne that the two had arranged a compromise. Both of them ruled over the kingdom jointly, neither of them assuming the title of king or queen. Looking around now, Jim decided that they seemed to be taking good care of things. The townspeople all looked well-fed and well-dressed. Business seemed to be booming, and the streets were clean and in good repair.

The door to the palace was particularly impressive, he realized, as he walked closer to it. He found himself wondering if anyone was really going to let a dusty traveler carrying a crocodile inside this beautiful building. He could, of course, prove that he really was an Earth Wizard, but would they let him have the chance? He had already made up his mind not to even bother if they rejected him before ascertaining his qualifications. As he approached, a guard addressed him.

"State your business," he said.

"I'm interested in this challenge I've heard about," Jim replied. "Something about marrying a princess..."

The guard nodded. "Head on in, then. Ring the bell and ask for Advisor Chronos. He'll tell you the rules."

"It's that easy?" asked Jim, rather surprised.

"Getting in is easy," said the guard. "Actually passing the tests is something else again."

Jim saw the wisdom in that, so he bid the guard good day and walked through the door into the palace. In the entry hall, he found a bell-pull, and, since no one was around, he gave it a pull and was rewarded by a musical chime. While he waited for a response, he looked around. If he had been expecting something imposing, he was sorely mistaken. The hall was built of white stone with high arched ceilings and tall windows that let in shafts of light from all angles, giving it a bright and airy feeling. There were also a number of chairs arranged along the side of the wall, which Jim presumed were meant for the comfort and convenience of visitors. Since no one seemed to want to wait on him, Jim picked out a comfortable spot, unbuckled Karen's harness, and dropped into a seat to rest a bit.

That was where he was when the advisor finally arrived - sprawled in a chair with his long legs crossed and his arms folded behind his head, with the brim of his hat tipped down over his eyes. He stirred and sat up at the sound of footsteps, and flashed one of his winning smiles at the courtier.

"G'day," he said casually. "I was told to ask for an Advisor Chronos."

"That would be me," said the advisor stiffly. "Should I take it you're here about the princess's challenges?"

"That's right," said Jim, getting to his feet.

"Very well. Your name, please?"

"Jim Cook, Earth Wizard," said Jim. "And this is my familiar, Karen."

"I... see," said Chronos, looking askance at the crocodile. "Very well. I will explain the rules. You will be presented with three challenges, to be issued one per day. You do not have to take all of them on consecutive days, but of course, the longer you put them off, the more likely that someone else will solve them all before you. If you wait more than one week without attempting a challenge, your application will be withdrawn. Once you have agreed to accept a challenge, withdrawal will be considered a failure. If you fail any of your challenges, you will be permanently disqualified from attempting any further tests. Is all of this clear?"

"Clear as crystal," Jim assured him.

"Well, then. Today's challenge is still in progress, if you wish to participate..."

"No, I think I'll bide my time for a little while," said Jim. "If you'll pardon my saying so, I haven't even set eyes on the lady, yet. Marriage lasts a long time. I don't want to get into something and find out it's not what I wanted."

Chronos gave him a shrewd look, but all he said was, "In that case, I will have someone prepare a room for you. You may join the rest of the applicants at dinner this evening."

"Thank you. I'm sure I'll enjoy it," said Jim.

The advisor handed him over to a pair of servants in matching uniforms, who whisked him off to a guest room that appeared to have been set aside for the purpose of entertaining applicants. Jim noticed that there appeared to be several other guests there, judging from the glimpses he could catch through open doors.

_I wonder what sort of tests these are,_ he mused, _that so many people have tried and failed..._

Well, he would worry about that later. Right now, he needed to get ready to meet the princess. He looked himself over in the mirror that had been provided in his room, and decide that this would probably require a bath. He did his best to stay tidy, but when he was wandering the great outdoors for long spans of time, it was hard to avoid becoming sweaty and dusty.

"I'll bet you'd like a bath too, wouldn't you?" he asked Karen. The crocodile naturally didn't disagree. Jim grinned and rang for a servant to fetch hot water. It was nice to have someone else worry about his needs for a change.

* * *

When the dinner hour arrived, Jim was clean and comfortable, dressed in fresh clothing in honor of his first visit with royalty. His new outfit was more or less like the old one, consisting of simple, sturdy traveling clothes. His only concession was to set aside his cloak and to ask someone to clean his boots for him. Thus attired, he allowed himself to be escorted to the lesser dining room, where the royal family held their meals when they weren't entertaining large crowds.

To Jim, it still looked like a large crowd. Seated at the far end of the table was a good-looking young man of perhaps eighteen or nineteen, easily distinguishable by his easy grin and the gold circlet that crowned his head. On one side of him was a man in a dark military uniform, his abundance of badges and gold trim identifying him as someone of rank - probably a general or commander, if he was seated next to the prince. On the other side was an unassuming dark-clad fellow who gave off an air of no importance, but Jim was mage enough to know better, and recognized this as a fellow wizard. Next to the soldier was Advisor Chronos. Further along the line were a number of other people that Jim guessed by their clothing were courtiers of lower rank. Beyond them, things became more interesting. There were a jumble of people of varying ages and stations, ranging from boys barely into their teens to men with graying hair, dressed in every style imaginable.

Then, at the very end of the table, there was the princess. Jim was too worldly-wise to think that the ideal of the beautiful princess was anything but a fairy tale, something invented by people who needed to believe that there were perfect people in the world, somewhere. He had believed quite firmly that the princess he was going to see would be at most ordinarily attractive, and quite possibly rather plain. There was no denying, though, that this princess was a beauty. Even dressed as she was in a plain blue dress and a simple pearl circlet adorning her hair, she radiated an air of quiet dignity that made her appear far more elegant that some people he'd seen who draped themselves in silks and jewels. The tilt of her chin suggested a strong personality; her clear amber eyes hinted at a keen mind. Jim took a place a few seats down from her (all the best seats were already taken) and watched her as she held court over the hopeful applicants. Whenever one of them spoke to her, she would listen attentively, and when she spoke, her voice was gentle, her tone measured and thoughtful.

_Now, that's a proper princess,_ he thought with approval. Much better than the spoiled brat he was afraid he would be dealing with.

Even as he was thinking that, she leaned forward a bit so that she could see him better.

"I haven't seen you before," she remarked. "Did you just arrive?"

"About an hour or so ago," he replied. He tipped his hat. "Jim Cook, at your service. I'm an Earth Wizard."

"Really? I'll have to introduce you to Fujiwara later. I'm sure you two will enjoy comparing notes," she replied, giving him a warm smile. "And who is your friend?"

"This is Karen, my familiar," he replied. "I hope you don't mind her joining us for dinner."

"Of course not," she replied. She flagged down a servant. "Excuse me, could you possibly bring a platter or something of the sort for Mr. Cook's friend to use?"

He flashed her a grin, very pleased by her response. Anyone who got along with Karen scored points in his book.

"Call me Jim," he told her. "We're all friends here, right?"

A few of the other men at the table looked as though they weren't sure they wanted to be his friend. They seemed a bit annoyed by this display of favoritism, or at least consideration, towards this newcomer. Jim got the feeling that the only thing that was stopping them from objecting openly was fear of offending the princess and fear of Karen's sharp teeth.

"A wizard, huh?" said one of the other young men near him. He was one of the well-dressed ones, a noble or perhaps a wealthy merchant. He had very dark hair and eyes but the pale skin of one who rarely has to venture out in the sun. "You'd better not be using any fancy tricks to get ahead."

"There will be no tricks," said Princess Asuka firmly. "The tests are designed in such a way that a person may use whatever talents or resources they have. He is welcome to use his magic if he thinks it will help, just as you are welcome to use your family fortune, Manjoume."

The young man called Manjoume bowed his head, looking rather put out. Asuka just smiled.

"Let's enjoy our meal," she said. "There will be plenty of time for competition later."

"So, what are these tests all about?" asked Jim. "I suppose you want us to slay a dragon?"

"No," said Asuka. "We tried that once. The first person we sent got along so well with the dragon that he decided to stay there with her instead."

Jim laughed. "Well, I can see how that might happen," he said, reaching down to stroke Karen's head fondly.

"I think he's probably happiest with his dragon, anyway," said Asuka. "He didn't seem like the type who would want to stay in one place for very long. But after that, we decided we had better try something other than dragons."

"Like what?" asked the man she'd addressed as Manjoume.

She smiled. "You'll just have to wait and see."

The meal continued in relative peace. Jim had to admit that it was better than what he usually got while he was traveling. He concentrated his energies on enjoying the food while he listened in on what everyone else was saying. In particular, he paid particular attention to Asuka, as she fielded questions and comments from her suitors. He was impressed by how calm she remained in the face of so much attention.

_I wonder how long this has been going on?_ he mused, as he picked at his dessert. _If it were me, I would have given up on the whole thing within a week. She must have the patience of a saint._

After the meal was over, a musician and a juggler were brought in to entertain the guests, but Jim excused himself and returned to his room. He had been walking since before sunrise that morning, and felt no inclination to join the others who would be drinking and merrymaking well into the night. He wanted time to rest, and to think.

_For a spur of the moment decision, this is turning out to be quite an undertaking,_ he thought. He had been anticipating an interesting challenge - even considering simply turning down the prize if he happened to pass all the obstacles. It was nice to dream about marrying a beautiful princess and living in luxury, but it was another thing to arrive and actually meet the princess and discover that she was not only beautiful but apparently also gracious, intelligent, and generally admirable, well...

When you discovered you actually rather liked the princess, things got a little more complicated.

* * *

The next day, the candidates were assembled in the castle courtyard, herded there by a fleet of rather harried young servants who obviously wanted to get them all there as quickly as possible so they could be done with the job and get on to other things. Jim didn't mind. He'd awoken at his usual hour, and was therefore wide awake and refreshed when he was summoned. He was rather amused to note that several of them were still yawning and bleary-eyed, and a few seemed to be nursing hangover headaches. Asuka, he noted with approval, looked perfectly comfortable with the early start. Her brother was with her as well, wearing an expression that suggested he was looking forward to some good fun.

"Is everyone here?" asked Asuka, surveying the ranks.

"Nearly everyone," Advisor Chronos replied. "A few of them chose to skip today's challenge. But everyone who agreed to take it is here."

"Good," she said. "In that case, we can begin. Is everyone paying attention? Thank you." She walked into the center of the courtyard. "Today's challenge is simple. All you have to do is find the most valuable thing in the kingdom and bring it to me. You have until sunset tonight. You are permitted to access any part of the castle you would like to search. Any questions?"

"What if it's something too big to move?" someone asked.

Asuka smiled. "I don't think you should have any problems."

The crowd dispersed, most of them making a beeline for the royal treasury. Jim lingered, looking thoughtful.

"Well?" asked Asuka. "Aren't you going to go with them? You know if you forfeit now, you won't get to try again."

"I'm not going to forfeit," he said. "I'm formulating a strategy."

"Oh. Well, I suppose that's all right, then," she said, smiling. "Just don't take too long. You never know when someone might figure out the answer, and then where would you be?"

"Nobody's solved one of your riddles so far," he pointed out. "I think I can risk it."

"In that case," she replied, "perhaps you'd like me to give you a tour of the castle? I don't have any other pressing engagements."

"Now that, I would like," he answered with a smile.

Asuka looked back over her shoulder at Fubuki. "Brother, we're going to take a walk. Do you want to come?"

"I'm good, thanks," said Fubuki, waving her onward. "You two have a good time. I'll take care of things while you're out."

"Thank you," she answered. She fell into step alongside Jim, who politely offered her his arm.

"Do you have a garden here?" he asked. "I think Karen and I would both be happiest if we were outside."

"Of course! It's quite impressive - I'm sure you'll like it." She took his arm and began leading him away.

Fubuki stood and watched a moment, a smile playing across his face.

"Well, this is interesting," he said. With a bounce in his step, he walked out of the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Asuka was sizing up her guest. She still wasn't quite sure what to make of him - this was the first time anyone had turned up wanting to take the tests who was apparently just doing it all for the fun of it. She wasn't sure she trusted him. Was he just trying to get into her good graces by pretending he wasn't interested in her as a prize? Or was he really just that bored?

"So what does an Earth Wizard usually do?" she asked him. "When he's not competing for the hand of a princess, of course."

"I haven't started competing, yet," he said cheerfully. "But to answer your question... an Earth Wizard preserves the land. If a patch of earth has been over-farmed, or polluted by war or dark magic, I put it right again. I resolve conflicts between humans and wildlife. I try to keep people from using up too much of the local resources or killing off all the predators."

"It sounds like a full-time job," Asuka commented.

"It is. But I'd like to think it's worth it."

"I'm sure it is," she said. "It's probably not that different from trying to run a kingdom - trying to make sure everyone has enough without people fighting about it."

"You're probably right," Jim replied. He grinned and gestured with his free hand. "You have better accommodations, though."

She laughed a little. "There is that. But you at least get to travel and see things. I hardly ever get to go outside the city."

"I'd be happy to tell you anything you want to hear," he told her. "I've been everywhere a man can go on his own two feet."

"I'd love to hear about it," she replied.

"I wouldn't mind hearing about you, too," he replied. "I've never known any royalty up close and personal. What do _you_ do all day?"

"Try to keep the kingdom in one piece," she admitted. "It's been a lot of work just convincing people that I'm fit to be considered co-ruler with my brother. If I didn't have his support, I don't know what I would do."

"Your brother seems like a good sort," Jim said.

"He is - he's really the best," Asuka said. "He's the most gentle, caring person there is. No matter what happens, he never gets angry or loses his patience. He's always there to stand up for me or make me laugh."

"He must be invaluable to you," Jim murmured.

"I couldn't get by without him," said Asuka.

She led him through a large door and into the palace garden, and stood back to watch his expression of admiration.

"Not bad at all," he said. "I was expecting something more formal."

The garden had been designed as something less like an orderly display of flowers and plants, and more like an idealized wilderness, with a series of winding paths lined with flowering trees and shrubs, opening to small nooks filled with flower beds or fountains designed to look like natural springs. A few of the trees were plain now, but come autumn, Asuka knew, their leaves would change to fiery colors, so that the garden would be stunning even in the colder months.

"I come here a lot, to get away from all the court commotion," Asuka said.

"I can see why," Jim replied. "I approve. Do you mind if I let Karen wander around a bit?"

"Be my guest," she replied.

Jim unstrapped his animal companion from her place on his back, and left her contentedly splashing in one of the ornamental ponds, which fortunately contained no ornamental fish. Jim browsed among the plants, pausing here and there to give a particular blossom or leaf his scrutiny. Asuka smiled as he knelt to gently touch a cluster of tiny flowers.

_He's definitely something else,_ she decided. The careful way he moved, his delicate touch - every move he made suggested that he truly cared about everything in that garden, and wouldn't have dared to hurt even a single blade of grass if he could help it. His hands looked calloused, capable and strong, but his inspections didn't so much as bruise a flower petal.

Jim wandered over to a climbing rose that stood against a wall, and leaned his head forward to better inspect it. It was still a bit too early in the year for roses, and the first buds were still tightly closed.

"Come over here and look at this," he said.

Curious, Asuka walked over to his side and peered at the rosebud. It looked perfectly ordinary to her, and she cast a curious look at Jim. He just grinned and stroked the bud gently.

"Hey, you beauty," he whispered to it. "Wake up, sleepyhead. Come out and show us your pretty face. I have a friend I want you to meet."

The bud opened with a slow movement that reminded Asuka for all the world of a yawn, as though the rose really were waking up from a deep sleep. The petals unfurled, and within seconds, Asuka was looking at a fully bloomed pink rose. Jim grinned.

"Roses," he said. "They're all vain as peacocks. Say a few nice words to them and they have to come out and show off. Or maybe that just works when you're a wizard."

"I've never tried it," Asuka admitted. "Perhaps I should."

"I'm sure if anyone could persuade a rose, it would be you," he said.

Asuka flushed lightly, and turned her head to hide the expression, instead holding the flower to her nose to breathe its scent.

"It really is beautiful," she said. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Jim replied. He stroked the flower's petals. "All right, my beauty, it's just a little too cool out today for you. Go on back to sleep."

The rose obediently curled its petals and tucked itself back into a bud. Jim studied it for a moment, and then knelt down to murmur something to the plant's roots. Then, having said whatever was on his mind, he got back to his feet, dusted himself off, and continued his exploration of the garden.

"I'm surprised you didn't pick the flower and give it to me," said Asuka. "That's what a proper Prince Charming would have done."

"I never saw the romance in killing a flower," said Jim. "But I asked that one there to grow well for you. A little favor, in case I decide not to stick around."

"Oh!" she said, feeling chastened. "That's very kind of you... and I agree with you about the flower."

He smiled. "I know. You're a sensible lady."

"I think that's the best compliment I've gotten in a long time," said Asuka, smiling.

"I feel privileged - it's been a while since I've met someone I could say that to," said Jim.

He looked thoughtful for a moment, and Asuka found herself wondering what he was thinking.

_I still don't understand you,_ she thought. _You aren't competing, but you act like you like me... What are you up to?_

To fill the awkward silence, she said, "Can I ask a personal question?"

"Be my guest," he said. "I don't have anything to hide."

"I was just wondering... what happened to your other eye?"

"Oh, that. I though you might ask about it, sooner or later," he said. She was pleased to see he didn't seem upset or self-conscious at all.

Much to her surprise, he took off his hat and began undoing the bandages that covered his face. She began to shy away - she really didn't want to see whatever had disfigured him to the point where he felt he had to hide it from everyone - but she realized that if he thought she could stand it, she didn't want to lower herself in his esteem by proving him wrong. She stood her ground, and was rewarded by a sight completely unlike what she had been expecting. Yes, there was a slight scar there, but instead of the empty socket she had been expecting, there was a milky blue sphere like a moonstone, surrounded by a setting of silvery metal.

"I got this as part of my mage training," he said. "My old eye, I lost in an accident a long time ago - I slipped off the edge of a cliff when I was just a boy. This eye, though, it sees a lot better than my old one. Ordinary eyes see only the surface of things; this eye can see into people's hearts."

"Why do you keep it covered?" Asuka asked.

"Because," Jim said, as he began winding the bandages back into place, "everyone has a few secrets in their hearts that were never meant for others to see. I don't like to invade their privacy that way unless I have a good reason. Besides," he added with a smile, "I don't really need it that much. It's just a shortcut. Watch someone long enough and pay attention, and you'll learn whatever you need to know."

Asuka raised her eyebrow. "You aren't curious what you'd see in me?"

"Like I said, I already know." He touched her chin gently, so that the were gazing into each other's faces. "You're a lovely young woman with a proud spirit, a keen mind, and a good heart. What else do I need to know?"

"You're a good man too," she answered.

They stood like that for a moment, standing inches apart, his fingers barely touching her face. Asuka felt supremely aware of her surroundings - of the chatter of birds, the soft splash of the fountain, the scent of the flowers, the warmth of the sun, the slight pressure of his hand on her skin. She was sure she could smell his scent, something that reminded her of pine needles and fresh earth.

Suddenly, the door to the garden burst open with a bang, and Fubuki came sweeping in with a companion at his side. Asuka jerked away with a start that could have almost been described as guilty, but in an instant she was as composed as ever.

"...and this is the garden," Fubuki was saying, waving his hands around grandly, as proud as though he'd planted it all himself. "Come over here and look at the fountains! They were put in by a world-class Water Mage, and there's a really big one in the middle where I like to - oh, Asuka, there you are! Come say hello!"

Asuka dutifully inclined her head toward the man who had been walking next to Fubuki. Jim, not to be outdone in courtesy, gave him and the prince a friendly wave.

"Manjoume here didn't feel ready for the games today," Fubuki continued, "so I'm giving him a tour."

"That's kind of you," said Asuka. "Jim was just telling me about the best way to grow roses."

Manjoume gave Jim a suspicious look. "Aren't you supposed to be solving today's challenge?"

"Oh, I solved that already," Jim replied offhandedly.

Everyone stared at him. Jim smiled. Taking Asuka by the hand, he led her forward to where Fubuki was standing, and placed her hand in her brother's.

"This is the most valuable thing in the kingdom, your highness," he said. "You told me yourself, your brother is invaluable to you, and nothing could be worth more than that."

There was a quiet moment. Then Fubuki began to laugh.

"How about that? Somebody finally got it right!" he said. "Good job! I had a feeling it might be you."

"I could have figured that out," said Manjoume sulkily.

"There's always tomorrow," Asuka reminded him.

"That's right. I might not be so lucky tomorrow," said Jim cheerfully. "Or the next day. Still two challenges to go."

"You watch," Manjoume insisted, "I'm going to win the next one!"

"So, what happens now?" asked Jim. "Does the rest of today's event get called off?"

"No," said Asuka, "they still have until the deadline to figure it out, if they can. Somehow, though, I don't think they will."

"Fair enough. So what do we do until then?" asked Jim.

"I could finish showing you around the garden," she suggested.

Fubuki grinned slyly. "Well, don't let us stop you! Come on, Manjoume! Let's go!"

"What? But-" Manjoume stammered.

"I want to show you my room! It's up in the east tower - it's got a great view of the city! And I've got a lute up there. Did you know I'm a musician? I could perform something I wrote..."

Asuka and Jim watched as Manjoume, bowled over by this outpouring of enthusiastic hospitality, was hauled away by Fubuki.

"Your brother certainly is enthusiastic," Jim observed.

"Tell me about it," Asuka agreed. She smiled. "You were right, though - I wouldn't trade him for anything."

"He's lucky, then," said Jim. "So... you said something about showing me the rest of this garden?"

"Right this way," she replied.

**To Be Continued**


	2. Second Test

**Second Test**

By: SilvorMoon

Manjoume was getting tired. His thoughts on princes, so far as they went, were that they were supposed to recline regally on their thrones, when they weren't capering around on stately white horses. Fubuki hadn't come anywhere near a horse all day, and as for the reclining regally... well, he had done that, but it hadn't been on a throne. It had been in his room, sprawled across his bed with a lute in his hands. Manjoume had never imagined that princes sang, either.

"Don't you ever slow down?" he grumbled as he trotted along in Fubuki's wake.

Fubuki stopped in mid-stride to look back at him. "Why would I do that?"

"Because maybe some of us get tired once in a while," said Manjoume.

"Ah, I see, I understand," said Fubuki, looking serious for a moment. Then he grinned. "Don't worry, though - we're almost there!"

He bounded off again, leaving Manjoume to run after him, breathing heavily. Nevertheless, it didn't cross his mind _not_ to run. The prince had a charisma about him that was irresistible. If he had told Manjoume to march all the way to the ocean to fetch him a handful of sand, he would have done it - complaining all the way, of course.

"Here we go!" said Fubuki, flinging open a door. There was a flight of stairs behind it.

"Weren't we just in a tower?" asked Manjoume.

"This is a _different_ tower," Fubuki said. "This is the west tower. It's completely different."

"Of course. I should have guessed."

"You can rest when we get to the top," said Fubuki. "It's a nice place. You'll like it."

With no other options, Manjoume squared his shoulders and began the long climb to the top of the tower. He wasn't used to so much physical activity. By the time he reached the last few stairs, his fine clothing was showing dark patches of sweat, and Fubuki all but dragged him up to the landing.

"I knew you could do it!" said the prince, with such a proud smile that Manjoume almost felt it had been worth all the effort. "Now, come over here and sit down."

Fubuki had not, at least, been lying about the tower being a nice place. It was obviously a lookout tower of sorts, but decades of peace had encouraged the castle's inhabitants to refurbish the highest room into something more suited for pleasure than for looking out for enemy troops. The walls were made up of little more than tall arches with wide windows, and there were several comfortable benches set in a circle, where people could sit and admire the view. Fubuki's room had a splendid view of the city, but this tower faced the farmlands and wilderness on the other side of the hill. Manjoume could look out over the neat patches of grain and vegetables, all the way to the distant forest and the faint blue smudges of mountains beyond.

"This is the best place to watch the sunset," said Fubuki. "I come up here a lot, when I can get away in the evenings." He glanced back at his companion. "Well, what are you waiting for? Make yourself at home! Kick off your shoes and relax."

Suiting action to words, Fubuki pulled off his own expensive boots and tossed them aside, and then peeled off the handsome velvet overtunic he wore, leaving only the simple white shirt he wore beneath. Thus unencumbered, he scrambled over to one of the windows, pulled it open, and began climbing onto the ledge.

"Hey, stop that! What are you doing?" Manjoume yelped.

"Relax - there's plenty of room," said Fubuki. Which was true enough - the wall was thick, more than wide enough for a grown man to sit comfortably. Fubuki dangled his legs over the edge and leaned forward a little, the better to enjoy the breeze on his face.

"What if you fall?" Manjoume protested. The last thing he wanted was to be in the room when the kingdom's crown prince took a tumble from the highest tower and ended up as a smudge on the ground.

"I won't fall. I've done this lots of times. You should try it."

Manjoume looked. He thought a moment. The windowsill looked pleasantly breezy, and Fubuki looked quite comfortable there, not at all like someone who was about to fall. Manjoume shrugged and began to kick off his boots and remove his sweaty outer shirt. He climbed up next to Fubuki, feeling some trepidation, but the prince laid a hand on him to keep him steady, and he settled down with little difficulty. The stone felt soothingly cool, and the wind was a blessed relief.

"See?" said Fubuki. "No problems at all."

"I guess you're right," Manjoume admitted.

"I knew you'd like it," said Fubuki. "So... are you going to try the challenge tomorrow?"

"I have to," said Manjoume.

"Well, you don't _have_ to. Yeah, so, that one guy managed to finally get one right, but that doesn't mean he's going to do as well tomorrow..."

"Yeah, but I have to look like I'm making an effort," said Manjoume. "My brothers expect it of me."

"Your brothers are merchants, right? I remember someone saying they're really rich."

Manjoume nodded glumly. "My oldest brother runs the shipyard, and the younger one manages all the goods. I'm not good at either one, so they told me that the least I could do is marry someone important and bring in some money that way..."

"What do you want to do?"

"Well, I don't want to run a shipyard, that's for sure," said Manjoume. "Actually... nah, it doesn't matter."

"Go on, tell me! I won't laugh or anything."

"Well, I was tested a long time ago, and they said I could have been a Thunder Mage if I had the right training, but my brothers didn't think it was worth the investment."

"So you don't really want to marry my sister?"

Manjoume felt himself blushing fiercely. "Hey, it's not like that! I mean, she seems really nice and she's really beautiful..."

"All right, all right, I know you're not insulting her," said Fubuki. "But that part doesn't matter. You should decide to do what you want to do. It shouldn't matter what anyone else wants you to do. Do you think I'm supposed to be up here hanging my feet out the window?"

"I guess not," Manjoume admitted.

"Right," said Fubuki. "You should think a little about what you really want."

"That's fine, but my brothers are going to think about what _they_ want, and they outnumber me."

"Ah, but I outrank them," said Fubuki. "If they complain, you send them to me - I'll straighten them out."

Manjoume was surprised. "You'd do that for me? Why?"

"Why?" Fubuki repeated, turning to look at him in surprise. "Because I'm a prince. It's my job to take care of people. I want everyone to be happy, and if there's something I can do for you, I'm going to do it."

"But you're the _prince_," Manjoume insisted. It didn't make any sense - people who were more important than you did not go around doing people favors out of the good of their hearts. They usually did whatever it took to increase their profit margins, no matter how much else they already had.

"Right. That's my point," said Fubuki patiently.

Manjoume gave him a speculative look. "You're not like other people."

"Of course not," said Fubuki. "I'm the prince."

That wasn't quite what Manjoume meant, but he let it slide. He was learning to go with the flow. The prince might be a little crazy, he decided, but he was at least a good kind of crazy.

"So whatever it is I decide I want, you'll help me?" he asked.

"Sure!" said Fubuki.

"Hmm..." Manjoume said thoughtfully. He stared off into the distance at the hills and forests. He didn't quite believe that the prince was really going to be as generous as he claimed, but it wouldn't hurt to give things a try and see how they worked out. Possibly he could make a good start at something before Fubuki lost interest in him and moved on to other things.

"But if I do something for you, you have to do something for me too," said Fubuki. "Sound fair?"

"I can live with that," said Manjoume. "Depending on what you've got in mind."

Fubuki told him. Manjoume listened.

"That's easy enough," he said. "All right. You've got yourself a deal."

* * *

The next challenge arrived at dawn. Jim was quite proud of himself for already being wide awake and dressed when a servant arrived bearing a sheet of paper with instructions on it, and wishing him the best of luck. He leaned back in his chair, reading the message, and then reading it again. It was deceptively straightforward: all he had to do was embark at a certain time of day to a well a few miles outside the city, retrieve a flask of water, and return to the castle with it before sundown. There had to be a catch in there somewhere, but he was at a loss to discover what it was.

"Somehow," he said to Karen, "I don't think our princess is the sort to give me a free pass just because she likes me."

Karen muttered her agreement.

"Whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough," said Jim. "We always manage, don't we, girl?"

But despite his words, he couldn't help but feel a tremor of unease. He had always been the kind to take life as it came and deal with situations as they arose. He gathered information, made the best plans he could, and coped with the results accordingly. No matter what life threw at him (and life could throw some strange things at a professional wizard) he had always trusted that he would pull through somehow. Even now, he didn't doubt his ability to manage whatever the task in front of him was. Not really. Nothing Asuka decided to pose as a test was likely to end in anything worse than simple failure. There wouldn't be any real danger involved. No matter what happened, he would walk away from this having lost nothing. Except, maybe...

_If I fail here, I'll never see her again._

Well, that wasn't technically true. He would see her at a distance, if he decided to hang around the city. He might even persuade her to let him stay on here at some official post. It was hardly uncommon for wizards to offer their exclusive services to some well-heeled personage. The only reason he had never done so was because he was happier being able to help anyone he chose rather than being at someone's beck and call, working only for their convenience or entertainment. He was sure that whatever was asked of him here would be better than that, but he still couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't think he would ever be comfortable with living in a place where he watched Asuka marry someone else.

Which was a silly way to think, of course. He'd only met her two days ago. True, she was a lovely woman and possessed many fine character traits, but he really shouldn't be smitten with her this soon. He'd always considered himself a level-headed sort, not the kind who lost his heart at the first sight of a pretty face.

_Anyway, I don't even know how she feels about me. I wouldn't marry a woman who doesn't want me, no matter what sort of tests I pass beforehand._

He was jolted from his musings by a knock on the door.

"Come in!" he called.

The door swung open, and Asuka stepped into his room.

"I hope I'm not disturbing anything," she said.

"No, of course not. It's your home, after all," Jim replied. "I was just reading over this note."

"Yes, that's what I came to speak to you about," said Asuka. "The note doesn't really explain properly how the test works. I thought I would give you a more thorough explanation. Don't worry," she added, "I'm not telling you anything that I won't tell the other candidates. That's one reason why you can't leave until the appointed hour - I have to have time to discuss this with everyone."

"Talk away, then," said Jim. "You have my undivided attention."

"All right, then. This is how it works," she said. "At this well, you'll find three dippers. One of them is made of pure gold. One is encrusted with jewels. And the other is just a plain dipper, made of tin, set a little aside from the others. That's the one you need to use. If you use any of the others, you'll fail the test. Do you understand?"

"Got it," Jim agreed. "Thanks for the heads-up. I won't forget."

Asuka smiled. "I'm sure you won't. Just trust me on this, all right? And everything will be fine."

"Of course. No worries," he assured her. "And thanks."

"You're welcome," she replied. Apologetically, she added, "I need to go talk to the others now."

"I understand," said Jim. "Go on. We'll talk more when I get back from this little walk you've sent me on."

She smiled. "All right. Good luck."

Jim gave her a wave as she hurried away. He sighed a little as she closed the door behind her, and then turned his attention to the clock. He was going to have to eat breakfast soon if he wanted to leave on this trip on time. It wouldn't do to disappoint the princess.

Thus it was that in due time, he had polished off his morning meal and set out through the city's main gates in the direction of the well. He had to admit, it felt good to be outside again. He wasn't used to having walls around him all the time, and all the luxuries the palace could provide were no replacement for fresh air and a clear view of the sky. He felt quite cheerful as he strolled up the road that led to this mysterious well. His way led him past the farmland that surrounded the city, and a few of the field workers waved to him as he passed. He waved back to them, and amused himself as he walked by whispering charms that would encourage strong, healthy crops. It was the kind of thing an Earth Wizard did without thinking twice about it.

He was surprised, and somewhat perturbed, to find that he was not the first person to reach the well. As he drew nearer to his destination, he noticed the familiar figure of Manjoume walking towards it from a slightly different direction.

"How did you get here so fast?" Jim asked him.

"Fubuki taught me a shorcut," said Manjoume. He strode briskly toward the well and began considering the best method of getting water out of it. Even from several yards away, Jim could easily see the golden and the jeweled dippers: they gleamed in the bright sunlight so brightly that Jim wondered briefly why nobody had seen them and walked off with them. Manjoume reached directly for the jeweled dipper and reached to scoop some water.

"You're not supposed to use that one," Jim pointed out helpfully. There was no point, he thought, in being a bad sport.

"Shows what you know," said Manjoume. "One dipper is the same as another."

"In all the stories, the people who use the wrong dipper always get turned to stone," said Jim. Indeed, he'd seen a few wells like that in his day, usually pointed out to him by people who wanted him to turn the poor saps who'd used the wrong dippers back into themselves. Some days, if he was feeling generous, he'd do it, but usually he left the job for whatever wandering hero was destined to make himself useful that way. It wasn't as though there wouldn't be another batch of people who couldn't follow directions after the old one cleared out.

Manjoume gave him an annoyed look. "Do you see any people turned to stone around here?"

Jim had to admit that he did not. The land around the well was empty save for grass and a few spindly trees.

"Right," said Manjoume. "It's just a stupid well full of plain ordinary water. There isn't even anybody to see which one we choose. Nothing bad is going to happen. Watch."

Jim shrugged; it wasn't as though he hadn't tried to warn him. Manjoume ignored him and dunked the dipper into the water. Nothing happened. He scooped up the water and began pouring it into his flask, and then hung the dipper up for the next person. Nothing continued to happen.

"See?" he said. "Nothing to it."

With that, he turned and began to walk away again. Jim frowned and walked closer to the well. The two dippers twinkled invitingly, but he was having none of it. Unfortunately, the plain dipper didn't seem to be in evidence. He searched the well carefully from top to bottom, and then, having failed to find it, began combing through the grass nearby. He found it at last, half-hidden by a clump of weeds near the base of the well. He picked it up, shaking bits of leafy debris from it, and scooped up a dipper full of water. Nothing interesting happened, but then, he hadn't really expected it. He poured the water into his flask and then started to hang the dipper up next to the other two. On second thought, he put it back where he'd found it. Then he turned and began walking home.

He passed another young man on the way up to the castle, and tipped his hat as he passed.

"Best of luck to you," he said pleasantly. The other man just grunted, eyeing him warily... or perhaps eyeing Karen. She didn't always bring out the most sociable sides of people.

As the other adventurer made his way toward the well, Jim paused a moment to watch him, indulging in his idle curiosity. He thought he saw a dark figure leaving the forest and moving towards the well.

"Hmm," Jim said. "How about that."

When he returned to the castle, he was welcomed pleasantly and invited to take an early lunch while he waited for the rest of the group to return. He politely declined the invitation, saying that a meager stroll like that was hardly enough to stimulate his appetite, and instead pottered around in the garden for a few hours. He had half-hoped that Asuka might come looking for him there, but she never appeared. He had to admit, the garden was a lot more lonely without her there to talk to.

Eventually, he was summoned to the dining hall, where the rest of the suitors and courtiers had already gathered. Jim scanned the room and noted that both the prince and princess were nowhere in evidence. Jim had half-expected that Manjoume wouldn't be there, either, but he was relaxing in his chair and looking quite pleased with himself. At the front of the room was a smaller table with a row of flasks, obviously collected from the aspiring suitors, and an equal number of glass bowls in front of them. Presiding over the table was the dreamy-eyed young man that Jim dimly remembered was the court wizard, Fujiwara.

A few minutes later, Fubuki and Asuka arrived, Fubuki sweeping in as grandly as though the whole thing had been arranged in his honor, and Asuka looking as elegant as ever and slightly remote.

"Your highnesses," said Fujiwara, bowing to each of them in turn. "I have the results of your test ready for you. Are you ready to see them now?"

"Of course," said Asuka. "Please proceed."

"Thank you," said Fujiwara. He turned his attention to the crowd. "If you would all turn your attention to the front, please... Thank you. As you can see, all of the flasks you have returned are here. Each one is marked with the name of the person who brought them, and they have been stored under my guard, as well as the watch of Advisor Chronos and Captain Ryou. There is, therefore, no chance that any of them have been tampered with. With that understanding, I will reveal to you now that each of the three dippers were enchanted. The water you've placed in these flasks will change its color depending on which dipper you used. I believe each of you were given instructions by our princess as to which one you should use..."

There was some uneasy shuffling in the crowd. Fujiwara continued.

"Anyone who used the correct dipper will have the contents of their flask turn blue when I pour it into these dishes. Anyone who chose the wrong dipper will have the water turn red. I will read your names out now as I empty the flasks."

There followed a brief roll-call as each bottle of water was tipped into the clear glass dishes. Jim was moderately surprised to see the amount of red-tinted water there was. Did people really find it so hard to follow directions? Or were they too lazy to bother taking the extra time to look for the missing dipper?

Or was there something else involved?

There was a sudden outcry, and Jim, startled from his thoughts by the noise, realized that Manjoume's name had just been announced - and the water from his flask was blue.

"That can't be right!" someone shouted. "He used the wrong dipper! I _saw_ him!"

"So did I!"

"Me too!"

"Of course you did," said Manjoume. "Because I was standing around dipping water out of that well all afternoon, and let me tell you, it was _boring_ watching all of you do the same thing over and over again."

"We told him the same rules you all got," said Fubuki. "Only thing different is that I asked him to see who he could convince who he could convince to use the wrong dippers. He still chose to use the right one himself."

"That's not fair!" someone protested.

"You all were told exactly what to do by the princess herself," said Ryou sternly. "It isn't our fault you decided to take advice from someone you should have known you were competing against. Unless you have a valid explanation as to why you failed?"

There was some uneasy shuffling.

"I thought so," said Ryou. "The winners of this event are Manjoume and Jim. The rest of you are dismissed."

The crowd wandered off, leaving behind only the lucky winners and the royal court.

"Well, that was interesting, wasn't it?" Jim remarked idly, getting up from his chair.

"Says you," said Manjoume. "I only bothered because the prince asked me to help."

"So you aren't going to attend tomorrow's event?" Asuka asked him.

He shrugged. "Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. We'll see if I feel like it or not."

"Speaking of tomorrow's test," said Advisor Chronos, "there is something we wished to speak to you about, Princess Asuka, if we may have a moment of your time."

"Of course," she responded. She turned to smile at Manjoume and Jim. "Sorry to leave you both so soon. Congratulations on your success."

She swept out of the room, followed by her brother and her assorted retainers. She followed them as far as a nearby parlor, and once they had all gathered inside, she shut the door firmly behind them and looked at them all with an expression of faint annoyance.

"All right," she said. "Who would like to tell me what you've all been talking about behind my back?"

"We were merely expressing concern," said Advisor Chronos.

"We couldn't help but notice that you seem to be favoring one of the applicants in particular," Ryou said.

"Which is good," Fubuki put in quickly. "I mean, the whole point of this was for you to find someone you actually like. But some people are saying that you've favored him all along and that's why he keeps winning."

"We want to be sure that everyone understands that things are being done by the book," said Chronos primly.

Asuka sighed. "Very well. What would you suggest?"

"With your permission," said Fujiwara, "we think one of us should design the next challenge."

"Oh, is that all?" Asuka replied. "I guess it wouldn't really hurt... Did you have something particular in mind?"

"Fujiwara says he can do something with his magic," said Fubuki. "Something that wouldn't leave any doubts."

"It isn't anything dangerous, is it?" asked Asuka.

Fujiwara shook his head. "It's quite simple, really. Like all of your challenges, it would be more a test of personality than physical ability. The only thing they risk is a good scare."

"I suppose that wouldn't be so bad. I don't think Jim is the sort who scares easily," said Asuka.

"You forget," said Fujiwara. "I'm a master of Shadow Magic. To me, _everyone_ is the sort who scares easily."

"In that case," said Asuka, "I think you had better tell me a little more about this plan of yours."

* * *

Despite the early start Jim had gotten that morning, the coming of night found him not the least bit tired. He prowled restlessly around his room, listening to the sound of Karen snoring contentedly under his bed, before finally giving up and pulling his boots back on. He would go outside and take a walk, and hopefully work off a bit of excess energy.

That was his plan, but it didn't seem to work. The night air was cool and crisp, and being out in it refreshed him. He had worked his way up to the castle walls and was walking circles around them, enjoying the glow of the stars above him and the warm light of the street lamps in the city below. It was a good night to be out; he felt as though he would be perfectly rested if he just stayed there all night, watching the constellations wheel by.

He had been there close to an hour before he became aware that someone was watching him. He paused in his walking to turn and discover that Asuka had crept up behind him. He gave her a smile.

"Something on your mind?" he said.

"A lot on my mind," she admitted. "I've been talking with my brother and my advisors. They wanted to choose the next obstacle themselves."

Jim frowned a little. "Why?"

"They're afraid that people will think I'm letting you win on purpose," she said. She sighed a little. "They might be afraid that I _am_ letting you win on purpose."

"I don't believe that," said Jim. "No one could live with you for any length of time and not realize you'd never do anything of the kind."

She gave him a weak smile. "You could be right." She turned to look down at the city. "Anyway, I agreed to it. They made a good case. I... almost agree with them. I'm not sure I trust myself to make the decision anymore."

"Now, that I really don't believe," he said, "but I'm flattered anyway."

"You really aren't like any of the others, though. You're comfortable to be around. I don't feel like you demand anything from me..." She turned to look at him thoughtfully. "Why did you come here, anyway?"

"Oh, for fun," said Jim casually. "At first. I wanted to see if I could do it. And it did cross my mind that it would be nice to be married to a princess."

"I see."

"I know what you're thinking," he said. "You're thinking I'm talking about having all the money I can spend, and wearing silk and velvet, and having servants to order around. I have to admit, it beats sleeping on the ground. But what I was really thinking was... well, I may be a wizard, but I'm only one man. I help where I can help and move on to someplace else, but I can only do a little bit at a time. But if I was helping to run a kingdom, I could do a lot more. It seemed like a worthwhile chance to take."

"I see," she said, looking slightly downcast.

"My plan was that if I met you and didn't like you, I would take the tests for the fun of it and then move on," said Jim. "But I think I'm past the point where that's an option now. If I can stay here, I will." He grinned, almost apologetically. "I hate to admit it, but I've gotten a little attached to you."

She gave him a genuine smile at that. "Me too. I'm glad we agree."

"I'm an agreeable guy," he said cheerfully. "So, this test tomorrow...?"

"Yes, I know what it is, and no, I'm not going to say," she answered. "It's not the sort of thing you can prepare for, anyway. But I'm sure you'll do fine. If this is what you really want..."

"I've been trying to figure that out ever since I got here," Jim admitted. "I think this is what I want. I think you're what I want."

"That's close enough," she said. "I suppose we'll find out tomorrow."

"So, what do you suggest we do in the meantime?" he asked.

"What were you doing before I got here?"

"Just looking at the stars. You can see a lot from up here."

"My brother tried to teach me the constellations, but I didn't get very far," Asuka admitted. "They all blur together for me."

"Take my word for it - they're up there," said Jim.

"Tell me about them anyway," she insisted.

"Are you sure? We should probably both be sleeping."

"Are you sleepy?"

"Not a bit," he admitted. "Well, then. The easiest constellation to find is the King's Scepter. You see that one bright star up there - the reddish one? That's the stone on top of the scepter. The three stars underneath it in a straight line are the scepter itself."

"I think I see it. That one there?"

"That's right. And if you look just to the left of the lowest star, you see the front hoof of the Charger."

"You explain this better than Fubuki does. He just points and says there is this, and there is that'," said Asuka. "Maybe I'll learn these stars yet."

"I hope I'll have the time to teach them all to you," said Jim.

"We've got all night," Asuka said.

So that was where they stayed, counting stars until dawn wiped the slate of night clean.

* * *

Manjoume was loafing around his room, staring at the ceiling and thinking deep thoughts. Most of them were about his aching muscles, which were protesting two days of wandering all over creation - back and forth to wells and up and down towers, not to mention all over the castle. He wasn't used to so much physical activity, and it was wearing him down.

_Where does he get all that energy?_

The prince was an enigma to him. He had never met anyone so perpetually energetic. Or, for that matter, so perpetually happy. It seemed like it would take a lot of energy to be that cheerful all the time. It wasn't natural.

Manjoume was still puzzling over this phenomenon when someone opened the door to his room, wandered across the floor, and dropped into an easy chair. Manjoume blinked a few times, wondering if he was seeing things.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked.

"Resting," said Fubuki.

"This is _my room._"

"It's my castle," Fubuki pointed out reasonably. "Half, anyway."

"But you have your own room to rest in," said Manjoume, but he knew already it was a losing battle.

"I wanted company," said Fubuki. He sat up and looked directly at him. "Manjoume, are you going to do tomorrow's challenge?"

"Of course I am. You know that."

Fubuki shook his head. "Don't do it."

"What? Why? Are you crazy? I've already explained to you..."

"It won't work," said Fubuki. "Just don't do it. It'll make you sad."

Manjoume frowned. "What do you mean? What kind of test is this, anyway?"

"I can't tell you," said Fubuki. "That's against the rules. You know that."

"If I wasn't going to be in the competition, it wouldn't make any difference."

"You just said you were going to do it," Fubuki reminded him. "But you shouldn't. It won't do you any good."

"Why not?" asked Manjoume, glaring at him. "Do you think I can't do it? Do you think I'm not good enough?"

"Yes and no."

"What?"

"I think you can't do it. I don't think you're not good enough," said Fubuki. "It's more like... like a shoe."

Manjoume blinked. "Now I know you're off your rocker."

"No, really. It's like a shoe. Either a shoe fits or it doesn't. It's not about whether you're good enough or not."

"So you think...?"

"I think the test doesn't fit you very well," Fubuki explained.

"You worry too much," said Manjoume. "It doesn't matter whether I win or lose. I just have to do it. Once it's over with everything will be fine. You'll see."

"I hope so. I wouldn't want you to be upset."

"Nobody else seems to care," Manjoume replied. He decided a change of subject was in order. "How come you're so involved in all this? Why don't you worry about who _you're_ going to marry?"

"Oh, I dunno," said Fubuki. "It's different for me. I like going out and meeting people, and lots of people like me. Asuka's quiet. She doesn't like mixing, so we had to convince people to come to her instead."

"So you could just get married whenever you want. Got it."

"No, that's not it either," said Fubuki.

"You make no sense at all, you know that?"

Fubuki grinned. "I make some sense. You just have to know what I'm talking about."

Manjoume just looked at him.

"Anyway, I could get married whenever I want. It's just the wanting that's the trick," said Fubuki.

"That makes sense," Manjoume agreed. "Just because everyone likes you doesn't mean you like everyone."

"Oh, I like them well enough," said Fubuki. "But when I get married, I want it to be to someone I feel like really needs me. Not just because I'm the prince, but because... hm. Because they see something in me that they can't get from anyone else. Does that make any sense?"

"Yeah, it does make sense," Manjoume agreed. "That's the first thing you've said all night that completely makes sense."

"See, I do get some things right."

Manjoume shrugged. "For the record... I've never met anyone else quite like you. Does that count for anything?"

"It might," said Fubuki, looking pleased.

"Well, uh, you're welcome."

"Thanks."

"Haven't we got this backwards?"

Fubuki laughed. "You said it yourself - I'm different."

That made Manjoume crack a smile, finally. "You've got that right."

**To Be Continued**


	3. Third Test

**Third Test**

**By: SilvorMoon**

The next day, Fujiwara could be seen out on the castle's drilling ground, carrying a bundle of wires. The soldiers who usually used the empty lot for training stood by, watching with mystification and a bit of amusement as the royal wizard walked around the field, planting bits of wire and fashioning them into arches. He measured out the distance carefully, moving things a few inches this way or that, as though the positioning of his wire loops was of incredible significance. All the same, everyone agreed that what he finally ended up constructing looked like nothing more than and oversized collection of croquet hoops.

Fujiwara seemed to find them pleasing. He stood back for a few moments, admiring his work, strolling around so that he could look at them from all angles. He had created what appeared to be a series of tunnels, springing from a single beginning and ending in a splay of passages that opened up on the other end, so that from above the whole thing would have looked rather like a pitchfork.

"Perfect," said Fujiwara, nodding.

"What are you making?" asked one of the soldiers.

"A maze," Fujiwara replied.

"That's no kind of a maze," said the soldier. "You can see right through it! And even if you couldn't, it doesn't lead anywhere but out!"

Fujiwara smiled. "It's bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside."

"Are you sure?"

"When I'm done with it, yes."

He took a leather sack and began pouring a trail of what appeared to be sand on the ground, drawing lines from the entrance to the maze to each of the exits, and then all along the outer edges, murmuring to himself in a low, musical tone. From time to time, the air seemed to glitter around him, and someone looking very carefully might have seen the faint image of a noble man with a crown of laurels on his head and a spread of broad wings at his back. His hands moved as though he were arranging something like sheets of fabric around the maze, though there was nothing that the eye could see.

Then Fujiwara straightened up and made a swift movement like the knotting of a string, shouting one last word of command, and the maze suddenly went dark. Outside the metal hoops, the sun continued to shine brightly, but within them, there was nothing but a tunnel of darkness, black as the night sky.

"Perfect," said Fujiwara. "Now we'll see how easy it is to find your way out." He turned to the onlookers. "Would one of you please run and tell the princess that the next challenge is ready?"

The soldier he had been speaking to took off like a shot - perhaps a little uncomfortable by seeing the normally retiring mage using so much of his power in broad daylight. Fujiwara just smiled the contented smile of someone who has done a tricky job well, and settled down in the cool shadows against the wall of the castle. That was a lot more work than he had thought it would be.

Within a few moments, he had recovered his composure, and the princess with her various retainers had arrived. So, too, had the day's challengers, many of them newcomers, and looking rather dismayed that their first task would be such a forbidding one. There was something unsettling about that smooth band of darkness sitting out in the open, defying all laws of nature. No one really wanted to go near it.

"It looks like it's time for us to start," said Fujiwara. He got to his feet and walked over to the "forked" end of the maze. "Would everyone gather over here where they can hear me, please? Thank you. Allow me to explain the rules.

"Everyone - every sentient creature that has ever lived or will live - has darkness within its heart. Some have more, some have less, but nothing is ever completely without it. Only a man of strong will can face the darkness within himself and master it. Normally, during the daylight hours, we keep ourselves too busy to pay attention to the darkness in our own hearts. It is only at night that we are left alone to dwell on our thoughts and fears. What I have created here is a patch of night. On its own, it contains nothing. What you find there is only what you bring to it. Your task is to allow the princess to lead you from one end to the maze to the other. If you lose your grip on her hand and wander away, you would come out one of these many exits on either side. Only those who manage to hold fast the entire time will make it to the true exit in the center. Princess, this is for you..."

Fujiwara produced a candle from his pocket, and blew on the unlit wick. A small blue flame appeared on it.

"As long as you are carrying this, you will see your way clearly," he told her. "Be careful that you don't drop it. Now," he added, turning to the audience, "who wants to go first?"

"I will," said Jim, stepping forward.

"No, I think not," said Ryou. "You've won two challenges already. Let someone else have a chance."

"Fair enough," said Jim. "I can go last, then. Let _everyone_ else have a chance."

Not everyone seemed pleased by this idea - it was clear that at least some people were hoping that he would go first and give them something to gauge the danger by. There was some uncomfortable muttering before Manjoume stepped forward.

"All of you stop whining. _I'll_ go first," he said. "Unless someone has any objections?"

"Be my guest," said Fujiwara.

Asuka offered Manjoume her hand, which he took with a blush on his cheeks. He stared resolutely ahead of him as she led him into the dark corridor. There was a long moment of silence as everyone waited to see what would happen.

Manjoume walked back out the door he'd gone through. He stood blinking in puzzlement, staring at the field in front of him as though he'd never seen it before.

"What just happened?" he demanded. "I was... and then I... how'd I get out here?"

"Obviously you didn't want to get to the other side enough," said Fujiwara mildly.

Manjoume opened his mouth to say something, and then abruptly shut it.

"You're probably right," he agreed. "All right, you clowns, I proved it's not dangerous. Next!"

There followed a steady procession of hopeful contenders, escorted one after the other into the maze by the patient princess. Jim relaxed in the shadow of the castle wall, watching the event with an air of detached interest. Actually he was quite intrigued by the whole thing. He was a mage, after all, and he was rather impressed by Fujiwara's work. Even if he couldn't pass this ordeal, it would be interesting to have a professional chat with him later and ask him exactly how he'd done it, even though Jim doubted his own abilities would be able to duplicate it. Another part of him was watching the applicants as they stumbled in and out of the dark corridor. Some of them came back out the way they came in, while others came out the left fork or the right one. It made Jim wonder if there was any significance to the turns they took. Many of them appeared thoughtful as they exited; some were frightened or crying; a few even looked disappointed to find themselves outside the tunnel.

_Now, what are you seeing in there that makes you want to go back in?_

At last, the candidates had been sifted through and left to stand, defeated, on the other side of the maze to await the final contender. Jim took a breath and began walking towards the entrance. It stood before him, blank and uninviting and utterly inscrutable.

"If you would like," said Fujiwara, "I will watch your familiar for you until you return. The magic will affect her too, otherwise, and she won't like it."

"Thanks, mate. That's decent of you," said Jim.

He undid the straps of Karen's harness and left her at the side of the wizard. He considered it a good sign that she seemed to trust him and showed no signs of wanting to wander away.

"I'll be back in a bit, my girl," he assured her, giving her a pat on the head. Then, feeling slightly defenseless, he walked over to Asuka's side.

"Ready?" she asked him.

He gave her a smile. "I guess we'll see."

She nodded, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, and together they stepped into the darkness.

It was instantly black - the most complete blindness Jim had ever imagined. He felt his eyes straining for even the faintest hint of light, and his pulse raced from the animal panic of being unable to see anything at all. But Auska's hand was still safely in his, and she could see the way, so he followed trustingly behind her.

Then, suddenly, she was gone. Jim blinked and looked around wildly for her, and realized that he could see again, but he was not standing outside the maze as he would have expected. He was on a road, looking ahead at a fork in the path. Off to one side, he could see rolling hillsides, dotted with graceful trees. Flowers bloomed there, and animals roamed peacefully. It was the kind of place where he could have happily spent hours, or days, pleasantly occupied with admiring the flora and fauna. On the other side was and equally beautiful landscape, but one that filled him with an inexplicable sort of terror. The landscape was made of crystal, dotted here and there with tufts of grass like long white fur. The trees that grew there were pink and orange, even on their trunks, and moved of their own volition, even getting up and trundling ponderously away when they wanted a change of light. The birds that flew overhead had four wings and long trailing tails, and gave calls like the rippling of a harp. He had never seen or even imagined a place that could look like that, and the knowledge that the world he thought he had understood could be so unfamiliar to him filled him with doubt. What sort of Earth Wizard was he when he couldn't even begin to understand this...?

Then he shook his head, annoyed by his own foolishness. What sort of Earth Wizard walked away when there was something new to be learned? Even if it meant admitting he'd been wrong about everything he'd ever thought he'd known, he would choose a lifetime of relearning it over a lifetime of ignorance. He took a step forward.

The landscape vanished. Now he was in a city, not unlike the one he had just been in. In fact, as he looked more closely at his surroundings, he realized it was almost exactly the same - he could even recognize a few of the buildings, and see the spires of the castle in the distance. The difference was that where the other city had been clean and well cared for, this one was dirty and crumbling, with offal littering the streets and walls blackened with soot and grime. Even while he was still taking all this in, Jim became aware of the sound of a commotion.

Fortunately, his instinct for trouble served him well, and he took the noise as a cue to get out of sight. Ignoring both the garbage and the stench, he ducked down an alley and hid behind a moldy rain barrel. A few seconds later, a mob of ragged people, too dirty and bedraggled to even be identified as male or female, came storming up the street, shouting and waving crude weapons and torches. They went on for a long time - Jim guessed there must have been nearly a hundred of them, all of them rushing toward the castle. They were making too much noise for him to catch every word of what they were saying, but he knew the gist of it. He'd heard it before, in crumbling kingdoms: everything was going wrong, and the common people were blaming their rulers.

_Wait. If this is the kingdom I just left, than the rulers would be..._

Forgetting the danger, he leapt from his hiding place and began running as fast as he could towards the palace, determined to reach it before the mob did. He didn't understand what was going on yet, but one thing was clear in his mind: he was not about to let anything happen to Asuka.

The only problem was, the mob was already ahead of him. Jim skidded to a halt as they turned to him with angry glowers.

"There he is!" someone shouted. "Get him!"

Jim realized that maybe he had more than one problem, after all.

"Sorry about this," he said, and sent a jolt of power running through the ground at his feet. The street suddenly split in half, creating a gap several yards wide. The people screamed and jumped away to avoid falling in. While they were still collecting themselves, Jim turned and fled.

_I hate having to do that,_ he mused as he ran. It always seemed like an abuse of power to have to destroy something, especially if he didn't know if he'd be able to put it back together again later. He had more important things to worry about at the moment, however. He found a new hiding place amid a heap of broken crates, and began to consider his options.

_All right, why are these people angry at me?_

Guessing why they were angry was easy - anyone would be angry at having to live in a place like this filthy city. Why they blamed it on him was another matter entirely...

_Unless it really is my fault,_ he realized. As long as he kept telling himself that all of this wasn't real, it made perfect sense. It was really no different from his vision of the mysterious landscape. They were both exactly what Fujiwara had said they would be: images of the darkness in his heart, the things that had been lurking there that he hadn't wanted to acknowledge.

_And the truth is, I'm afraid._ He had been terrified of seeing that beautiful but alien land because he was afraid of leaving the comfortable life he knew to live in a palace and try to adapt to customs and etiquette he didn't know. That fear had faded when he had made up his mind to learn how to adapt. Now he was faced with a new and more difficult fear. He was afraid that if he took any sort of responsibility for this kingdom, and he made a mistake, it would lead to disaster and suffering for hundreds of innocent people. How did you deal with a dream like that?

If you were Jim, you took the consequences. If the mess in this world was his fault, then he had to stand firm and accept the results of his mistakes, even if he couldn't remember making them. He walked out of his hiding place and began making his way toward the castle.

By the time he got there, however, he realized it was already too late. The villagers were gathered around a cart that had been crudely fashioned into a cage. Huddled inside it was Asuka, her clothing torn and her hair in disarray. The crowd shouted insults at her as they pelted her with rotten vegetables and clods of earth, or worse. She huddled at the center of the cage, trying to shield her face. Jim scowled. He was willing to accept responsibility for this dream, but he wasn't about to admit that whatever was going on here was her fault.

"Let her go!" he shouted. "If you've got a problem, take it up with me!"

The crowd erupted into new levels of outrage.

"Get him!"

"Lock them both up!"

"_Let her go!_" Jim demanded. "Release her, and I'll come with you quietly, but if you don't, there's going to be a fight. I know you don't want to take on a wizard, and I don't want to do any more damage. Let her go."

There was some muttering and grumbling, but people seemed to be afraid to provoke him into a fighting rage. Gradually, they parted, clearing a path between him and the prison wagon. Jim walked slowly forward and touched the wooden bars, and they rotted and crumbled to dust. She raised her head and looked at him, her expression showing for a brief instant that she expected nothing less than fresh indignities heaped upon her, before she realized who was standing before her.

"Don't worry," he told her gently. "I won't let them hurt you anymore. No matter what happens, I'm going to take care of it from now on."

She smiled at him, a hesitant but real, trusting smile.

"I knew you'd come for me," she said.

He smiled back, and offered her his hand, so that he could help her out of her cage. She placed her hand in his...

...and suddenly he was stepping out onto the hard-packed dirt of the castle training ground, blinking at the sudden strong sunlight. His hand was still closed around Asuka's.

"What do you know," said Fujiwara, in the tones of one who is not the least bit surprised. "It appears we have a winner."

There was a chorus of exclamations, not all of them happy, but Jim was still too disoriented to realize what the excitement was about. It was beginning to dawn on him that he had passed this challenge, and that the dreams were finally over.

"Congratulations," said Advisor Chronos grandly, striding towards Jim and seizing his free hand to shake. "You have performed most admirably in all respects."

"Well done," Ryou agreed. "We all had a feeling it would be you."

"I'm so happy!" Fubuki exclaimed. "My little sister is finally getting married!"

It occurred to Jim that he had just passed the third test, which meant he had passed _all_ of the tests. He also couldn't help but notice that he was still holding Asuka's hand.

"Well?" he said to her.

She gave him an amused smile. "I suppose this means we're engaged."

"It looks that way," he agreed. "Unless you have a better idea."

"No, I think this will be quite all right," said Asuka.

"We must send out an announcement at once, to let everyone know the challenges have ended," said Chronos. "Of course, there are a few last technical issues - a few minor legal matters that must be arranged - but I'm it will present no difficulties for you."

"That's right - the worst is over!" said Fubuki cheerfully. "You're practically part of the family."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Asuka warned. "We're not quite married yet."

"But you'll get there!" Fubuki insisted.

"Tomorrow," said Chronos. "Today will be a day of relaxation. Tomorrow, you will present yourself at a formal ceremony in the great hall. It will be held at ten o'clock _precisely_." He fixed Jim with a very stern look. "Your behavior during this ordeal has been somewhat casual - in fact, I seem to recall you saying earlier that you hadn't even made up your mind that you truly intended to marry the princess. This is not a game to be taken lightly, Mr. Cook. If you show up even five minutes after the assigned hour, we will assume that you have lost interest and gone elsewhere."

"I'm a man of my word," said Jim solemnly. "If I say that I'm going to marry her, then that's what I'm going to do. You can count on it - I'll be there tomorrow, ten minutes early."

"See that you are," said Ryou seriously.

"All right, I think this is all the excitement there's going to be for one day," said Fujiwara. "I need to take the maze apart now. Thank you for trusting me with your familiar - she was very well behaved."

"Not a problem," Jim assured him. "Have you got a familiar?"

"I have a familiar spirit," Fujiwara replied. "He's a bit shy. It might be a while before he lets you see him."

"Fair enough," said Jim. He turned to Asuka. "Shall we go? I think we probably have a few things we need to talk about."

"That's right, you two lovebirds!" said Fubuki cheerfully. "You two go spend some time alone."

"Fubuki, please," said Asuka, gazing heavenward in annoyance. "Don't you have anything else to do?"

"I guess I could think of something," he admitted. "But what you're doing is more important."

"Shoo!" she commanded, and her brother made a hasty departure.

Jim laughed. "I can see I'm going to have to learn to behave myself."

"I'm sure you'll learn to adapt," she replied.

"You're probably right about that," said Jim. The two of them began walking away from the training field, with no particular destination in mind. For the moment, it was good just to relax and not worry about what was coming next.

"Fujiwara told me that nobody would be able to find their way through his maze if they didn't really want to be with me," Asuka commented. "With _me_, that is - not just be rich or famous or powerful, or what have you."

"I can believe that," said Jim thoughtfully. "A man would have to be determined to make it though all that."

"I didn't see anything," Asuka admitted. "What was it like?"

He smiled. "Nothing in particular. Just a couple of little things I needed to work through. It's not important anymore."

Impulsively, she took both his hands in hers and looked up at him. "I want you to know that no matter what, you're my choice. You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I do," he said. "I wouldn't have made it this far if I hadn't."

"I guess I'm just a little nervous," she admitted. "But tomorrow everything will be official, and then we can relax."

"Oh, I don't know," said Jim. "Seems to me we might still have a thing or two to think about, what with running a kingdom and all."

That made her laugh a little. "I've gotten good at that by now. Leave it to me."

"I can't do that," he told her. "Not completely. I need to learn how to be a help to you. Or at least how not to make too much of a mess of things."

"You won't make a mess of things," she told him. "Now let's talk about something more cheerful. We have a wedding to plan for, and we ought to have at least one or two ideas about it when they ask us."

"All right... Where do you want to go on our wedding trip?"

"You're the world traveler. I've barely been outside the kingdom before. Where do you think we should go?"

"Hmm..." he said. "Well, I wouldn't mind paying a visit to my old home in the south lands... but for scenery, you can't beat the White Kingdom... and the jungles in the south are worth seeing once in your life..."

"This might have to be a long trip," said Asuka, laughing. "I want to see everything!"

"Good choice," he agreed. "In that case, I think the best place to start would be to strike out on the south road heading for..."

* * *

Manjoume was a little confused. No, that was an understatement - he was confused enough to be angry about it, and he didn't know what to do about it. He was sitting alone in the tower that he had objected so strenuously to climbing the first time Fubuki had dragged him up there. Now the physical activity had helped him burn off some of his annoyance, but even the view of the whole world spreading out at his feet didn't help him to feel any more in control.

He had gone into the maze prepared to be horrified. Not much had been asked of him in terms of physical courage in his lifetime, but the fact remained that Manjoume had a stubborn spirit, and he was not easily deterred by threats of danger. He had expected monsters, war, and general chaos.

What he hadn't expected was to find himself seated on a throne, in the very castle he had been living in for the past few days. It had, however, shown some signs of redecorating - the colors of his family's crest were featured prominently, and Manjoume was fairly sure he knew who to blame for that. Sure enough, he had only been sitting there for a moment or two, getting his bearings, when a side door opened and his two brothers marched in. They were clad ostentatiously in velvet and fur and gold, a contrast to the simple black garb that Manjoume usually favored, and the overall effect was that they were trying to look more kingly than he did. Manjoume privately felt that they merely looked overdressed and more than a little ridiculous.

"We need to have a talk about this new tax proposal," his brother Shoji was saying. "You can't allow it to go through, you know. It's going to take nearly two percent off of our profits if you do."

"It's for the improvement of the main highways," said Manjoume, though how he knew that, he couldn't recall.

"All the more reason not to do it," said Chosaku. "If shipping by land isn't an option, people will ship by water instead, and that's where we make our money."

"In case you haven't noticed, this kingdom doesn't exist just so you can make money!" Manjoume snapped.

"Too bad," said Chosaku. "That's what you're here for. It's your job to protect your family's interests first and the rest of the kingdom second. Let the others worry about what's best for the peasants."

"Oh, yeah? What about what I need? Why doesn't anyone ever think of what I want?" he snapped. The room was becoming darker; clouds were building outside, turning the unlit hall into a gloomy sepulcher. "I didn't come here just to be your puppet!"

"Then what did you come here for?" Shoji demanded.

"_I don't know!_" Manjoume shouted back, and as he said it, he knew it was true. There was absolutely no good reason why he should be there, trapped into doing his brothers' bidding for the rest of his life.

Outside, rain began to lash against the windows.

"If you don't know," said Chosaku, "then you're better off letting us do the thinking for you."

"No," said Manjoume. "I've been letting you do the thinking for me all my life, and it hasn't done me any good. I'm through with you, do you hear me? I'm through with both of you - and all of this!"

And with that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the doors behind him.

Only somehow, the door didn't lead the direction it usually did, and he found himself not in the entry passage he'd been aiming for, but standing out on the catwalk of the castle. It was still raining, drops of water beating against his skin and dousing his clothes. The wind whipped about him, stirring his hair and cloak, and he laughed and turned his face skyward and let it wash over him. Thunder crashed so close that he could feel the vibrations in his chest, and lightning flashed all around, striking the pinnacles of the towers, but he stood unafraid in the midst of it all, fully relaxed for the first time in days.

"Hey, up here!" someone called. Manjoume shouldn't have been able to hear it over the noise of the storm, but it carried loud and clear. Manjoume looked up and could just barely see the shape of someone moving around in the lookout tower above him.

"You can see it better from up here!" Fubuki called again. "Hurry, or you'll miss it!"

Manjoume didn't question the logic of that - he went. He ran for the nearest door, and found himself on the tower steps. He began to climb. The sound of the storm seemed, if possible, even louder within the narrow staircase, and grew even more so the higher he climbed. It seemed to him that there were many more stairs than there had been before, but he continued forward, following the sound of the voice above him, urging him onward. On he went, until his legs ached and his chest burned, and still there seemed to be just as many stairs above him as before. His steps grew slower and clumsier, his toes catching on the edges of the stairs and causing him to stumble, and though he gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep taking the next step and the next, he lost his footing and fell....

But a pair of strong hands caught him and steadied him, and Manjoume raised his eyes to see Fubuki smiling at him.

"It's okay," he said. "You don't have to go the whole way yourself. I'll help you."

Too exhausted and aching to put up a fight, Manjoume only nodded, and took Fubuki's hand...

...and that was how he found himself standing outside the maze.

Which meant he had lost his chance at the princess, which probably wasn't such a bad thing now that he thought about it. The question was, what was he supposed to do now? That was the question he was thinking about, because the question of just why he had dreamed that particular dream was a little too close for comfort. It was easier just to sit there on the windowsill and attempt to plan out how he was going to avoid going home and telling his brothers that he'd been beaten soundly by some wandering shrub-wizard, and didn't even get a consolation prize.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Manjoume didn't turn around. He was not in the least surprised to realize that he'd been followed. In the wake of his dream, he had almost been expecting it.

"I didn't have anywhere else to go," he said.

"Are you doing all right?" asked Fubuki, clambering up onto the windowsill beside him. "You seem thoughtful. Are you sorry you lost?"

"Not exactly," said Manjoume. "No, I'm not sorry at all I lost. The last thing I want is to spend the rest of my life doing what my brothers tell me and never getting anything _I_ want. I just don't know where else to go and I _hate_ it."

"You could stay here," Fubuki offered.

"And do what?" Manjoume grumbled. "I'm not good for anything, and even if I learned how to do something, you still wouldn't need me because you've already got everything you need here already."

"I know something you could do for me."

Manjoume looked at him warily. "What?"

"You could sit up here and keep me company."

"That doesn't count! It's not really doing anything."

"Does it make a difference?"

Manjoume wasn't really sure how to answer that. He turned away again.

"You really do want to stay here, don't you," said Fubuki. It was not a question. "Why?"

"I don't know," said Manjoume with an uneasy shrug. "At least you take me seriously."

Fubuki nodded, as though that were the answer he'd been expecting.

"So the problem is that you want to stay here, and you don't want to tell your family that you lost the challenge," he summed up. "In that case, let me make a suggestion..."

He talked. Manjoume listened, his expression going from doubtful to curious to openly intrigued.

Outside, clouds gathered. It began to rain.

* * *

Jim liked the world after it rained. Let other people complain of the humidity and the mud. To him, there were few things better than waking up to find the sky a freshly-washed blue and the world polished and gleaming, the air smelling of greenery and damp earth. He had slept well the night before, and enjoyed pleasant dreams. The previous day had been spent mostly in talk - about practical matters like what the date of the wedding would be and how best to integrate him into the royal court, but much of it had been little more than contented chatter. Today, all he needed to do was get himself to the right official building to fill out the right bit of paperwork, and just like that, he would be engaged.

_Not a bad week's work,_ he thought, and grinned. The last of his misgivings seemed to have been lost in the maze. Now he was looking forward to everything the future had to offer. He sat by the window of his room, toying with the last of his breakfast while he waited for the appointed hour.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" he called.

A servant stepped in and made a small bow to him, in recognition of his new status.

"Sir," he said politely, "I have a message for you from Advisor Chronos."

"Well, let's hear it," said Jim.

"He advises you that since today's ceremony will be rather formal, it might be best if you acquired more suitable clothing. It would be disrespectful for you to appear before the royal court in ordinary traveling clothes."

"These are the only clothes I have," he pointed out reasonably.

"We are aware of that," said the servant. "We have already contacted the town tailor, and made arrangements for you to be fit for a new suit."

Jim glanced at the sun. By his best estimate, he had something like two hours to get there and back again in time for the ceremony.

"How long is it going to take?"

"Not long," the servant assured him. "The garments have already been selected. They only need to be altered to fit you."

"Well, if it has to be done," said Jim philosophically. He stood up and put on his hat. "Which way to this tailor's place?"

The servant provided him with directions and offered him a map, which he politely declined. Instead, he loped out of the castle and out into the world. A breeze had sprung up, driving the mugginess from the air, and on the whole, he felt it was the perfect day for a walk. He set a brisk pace, intending to get to the tailor's shop as fast as he could, so he could return to the castle in good time, but he paused along the way to greet several of the people he passed. Many of them seemed to have heard of him, and after the events of his trip through the maze, he wanted to make sure he was on good terms with everyone.

By the time he reached the tailor's shop, the tailor himself was already pacing the floor with impatience. As soon as Jim walked through the door, he pounced hm and was nearly bitten by Karen for his troubles. It took a little while for Jim to straighten that out so they could get down to the business he had come there for, and a bit longer for the tailor to calm down enough that his hands were no longer shaking hard enough to put Jim in danger of being stabbed by a needle. Even when the work finally got underway, it took longer than Jim had expected or hoped, because the items that had been picked out for him had been intended for a smaller man, and they couldn't be easily altered to suit his stature, so new clothing had to be found. Jim eventually exited the tailor's shop resplendent in emerald green, and also feeling rather annoyed by the whole thing. He was happy to get back out into the fresh air.

"I'm going to have to move fast," he muttered. He hadn't heard the bells strike ten yet, but he knew the time couldn't be far off. He broke into the swiftest run he could manage, which wasn't much in the crowded city streets. The market district slowed him to a crawl, but once he reached the more residential parts of town, he was able to make better progress.

He had, in fact, made it close enough to the castle that he felt justified in slowing down a bit, so that he wouldn't arrive for his ceremony showing an unseemly coating of dust and sweat, when he heard the sound of someone crying out. He stopped.

_I don't have time for this,_ he thought, but he knew he couldn't just walk away. He could almost hear Asuka in his mind saying, "No matter what, you're my choice." She was the princess. She wouldn't let some minor functionary send him away if she didn't want him to. He changed direction and sprinted off in the direction of the noise.

Lying in the middle of a side-street was a well-dressed man with long reddish hair and a noble face, who was just now trying to push himself off of the ground. Standing over him were two other men, cloaked and hooded, holding heavy staves. Even as Jim watched, one of them lashed out at the man, sending him facedown into the street again.

"That's enough of that," Jim said in a carrying voice.

The hooded figures looked up at him and shifted their grips on their sticks, obviously preparing for a fight. Well, if that was what they wanted, Jim would give it to them. He reached up and undid the straps that held Karen in place, and she slithered to the ground and launched herself at the dark figures with surprising speed. They cried out in alarm and rushed away. Karen scrambled after them a short distance, but she was reluctant to go very far from her master, and soon returned to his side. Jim knelt next to the fallen man and began helping him up.

"Are you all right?" Jim asked.

"I'm fine," said the man, a bit weakly. "Just bruised... and they stole my bag."

"Don't worry, we'll get it back," said Jim. "Karen, sit here and guard him. Sir, you just sit here with Karen and take it easy until I get back."

The man nodded, and Karen gave an agreeable whuffle and settled down to stand watch. Satisfied that all would be well, Jim turned and chased off after the thieves.

"I suppose you fellows think you can get away," he said, and smiled smugly. They might have been able to get away from anyone else, with this much of a head start, but they would never get away from him. The very earth they walked was his ally; unless the two of them could fly like birds, he would be able to find them. From his pocket, he produced a rather uninteresting bit of flattish rock, a small stone that he had picked up from a stream bed. It had a hole worn through its center by the abrasion of the running water, and he had tied a linen thread through the hole. He let it dangle freely in front of him. It pointed straight down at the ground without moving, even as he ran.

"All right," he told it. "Which way did they go?"

The stone rose slowly into the air, pulling the string taut and pointing like a compass needle to something off to Jim's left. He changed direction, darting down a side alley and vaulting a fence. The thieves might have had a head start, but his charm would point him to the most direct route. With any luck, they would be getting complacent soon and stopping to catch their collective breath, and then he would catch up to them .

He set out with high hopes, but it wasn't long before his guiding stone began to get confused. Jim scowled at it.

_They must have split up,_ he thought, annoyed. As far as high-precision instruments went, a stone on a string wasn't much. It couldn't point in two directions at once.

"Which way did the first one go?" he demanded of it.

The stone dropped straight down, as though relieved to have released some burden, and then rose again, pointing back more or less the direction from which Jim had come. Jim frowned.

"Now show me the other," he said.

The stone swung around, pointing in the direction of the castle.

_Which way?_ he asked himself. If he went to the castle, he would be there the sooner, possibly with a miscreant in tow to show why he had been detained for so long. On the other hand, a beaten man was behind him, with his attacker drawing nearer to him, and Karen couldn't do everything. With a sigh, he turned to retrace his steps.

He got there just in time to see the dark-cloaked man bending over Karen and whispering something to her. She opened her jaws and hissed at him, preparing to strike, but then slowly closed them again, subsiding sluggishly.

_Magic?_ Jim wondered, redoubling his speed. That was the only thing he could imagine that would make his normally reliable familiar start falling down on the job. Even as he watched, the cloaked man extended a hand to the person Jim had rescued earlier.

"All right, what are you playing at?" Jim demanded.

"Merely a precaution," said the cloaked man, in a surprisingly calm - and familiar - voice. Jim stopped short and stared.

"You?" he said, as close to dumbfounded as he'd ever been.

Fujiwara pushed back his hood. "I want you to know that none of this was my idea."

Meanwhile, the man who had been sitting on the ground, watching all of this unfold with an expression of polite interest, climbed gracefully to his feet, and then extended a pair of wings from his back and stretched them with something that looked like relief.

"Did I do well, Master?" he asked.

Fujiwara nodded. "You performed admirably, Honest. Thank you."

"You're welcome," the spirit replied graciously, and faded from view.

"What is this all about?" Jim asked.

"Your final ordeal," said Fujiwara. "It was Advisor Chronos's idea, really."

Jim crossed his arms. "You're going to have to explain a little more than that."

"The idea is that it is one thing to be tested when you know you are being tested," said Fujiwara, "but something else again for you to continue to perform admirably when you think no one is watching." He carefully removed his cloak and began folding it neatly. "Mind you, I was convinced already, but the advisor is very thorough in the way he does things. And he does want the very best for the princess."

"She's going to be annoyed about this, you know," said Jim.

"Probably so," Fujiwara agreed. "That's one reason why I let Ryou be the one to return to the castle and report on your progress. He'll be catching the worst of it, but he can handle it."

"I'm not very happy either."

"You have my sincerest apologies," said Fujiwara, giving him a slight bow. "Would you like to return to the castle now? I'm sure someone is waiting for you."

Jim decided that Fujiwara was probably right about that. Keeping Asuka waiting any longer wasn't fair, and besides, if he went to the castle, he would save time by giving everyone a piece of his mind at the same time. He scooped Karen back into her harness and began striding briskly toward the palace, dragging Fujiwara with him.

As it turned out, he was just in time. He found Asuka in a parlor, venting her wrath at Chronos and Ryou in levels that made the chandelier vibrate. Ryou took the abuse stolidly, but the advisor appeared to be trying to retreat into the wallpaper.

"...had quite enough of you making decisions for me! I have already made up my mind, and no matter how this ridiculous plot of yours turns out, I am _still_ going to marry him, and that is final! It is not his fault that you decided to play tricks on him just to prove a point..."

"Glad to have your vote of confidence."

"Jim!"

Asuka stopped in the middle of her tirade and rushed to his side.

"Don't worry, I'm still in one piece," he told her. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. It sounds like there was some good entertainment going on here."

"I really didn't know they were going to do this," she said.

"I know," he replied. "I trust you."

"I think it can be safely said," Fujiwara remarked, "that Mr. Cook has performed above and beyond anyone's expectations."

"Yes," said Chronos, apparently relieved that the conversation was being steered away from his blunders. "We will publish the banns as soon as your brother is here to give them his seal of approval."

"Speaking of which, where _is_ Fubuki?" asked Ryou. "I was certain he would want to be here."

"The last I saw him, he was with Manjoume," Asuka said. "I suppose they've become good friends over the last few days. They do seem to spend a lot of time together..."

"They went to the library," said Chronos. "That's where they claimed they were going, at least." His tone suggested that he highly doubted that Fubuki would do anything like go to the library.

"Why would they go in there?" Fujiwara asked.

"He said something about wanting to look up a law..."

There was a sudden scramble as Fubuki came pelting into the room, clutching a paper in one hand and Manjoume's arm in the other. Manjoume himself was looking flustered and possibly a bit annoyed at the rough treatment. Mostly he appeared stunned, as people tended to do when they'd spent too long in Fubuki's company.

"I found it!" said Fubuki joyfully.

"I want you to know this wasn't my idea!" Manjoume said. "He was the one who thought of it!"

"I've been hearing a lot of that today," Jim observed.

"Thought of what?" Chronos asked warily.

"This!" said Fubuki, spreading the paper out on a table. "I read the whole thing, and it doesn't say _anywhere_ I can't do it!"

"Can't do what?" Asuka asked.

"Get married!" said Fubuki gleefully.

"Well, of course you can get married," Chronos began, but Manjoume cut him off.

"He doesn't mean just anyone," he snapped. "He means to _me_. He had to dig out the law and prove that it doesn't say anywhere that the prince has to marry a woman."

"It's perfect!" Fubuki enthused. "He doesn't get in trouble with his family and I get to keep him around, and everybody will be happy!"

"I'm not sure it's going to be quite that easy," Ryou said.

"I told him it was a stupid idea!" said Manjoume.

Fubuki wasn't listening. "And we can get him trained up to be a wizard like he wanted! We've got two wizards here already - someone will be able to teach him."

"I don't mind," said Fujiwara. "If he has any aptitude for it, it shouldn't be a problem."

"But what about heirs?" Chronos protested.

Fubuki pointed at Asuka and Jim. "That's their job!"

Asuka flushed slightly, but Ryou said, "He's probably right. It doesn't really make a difference which side of the family they come from."

Chronos looked as though he was wearing down. "I suppose when it comes to it, you _are_ the ones who make the rules..."

"What?" said Manjoume. "You mean it's actually okay?"

"I don't see why not," said Asuka. "As long as it makes you two happy..."

"I knew you'd agree!" siad Fubuki. He latched onto Manjoume. "What do you think? Should we make it a double wedding or do you want a separate date?"

"Well... I... um," said Manjoume, blushing brilliantly, but somehow not looking entirely displeased. "Whatever you want, I guess."

"All right! A double wedding, then. With two cakes and a parade and..."

Jim and Asuka glanced at each other as Fubuki continued to chatter on, lost in making plans.

"You know," she said to him, "I think it's a very good thing that you're so talented at passing tests."

"I think you're right," he agreed. "It sounds like the real ordeal is just beginning."

**The End**


End file.
